1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional display panel and a three-dimensional display using the same capable of viewing a three-dimensional image without using special glasses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are methods of viewing a three-dimensional image without using special glasses. Examples of this method include a lenticular method, a parallax barrier method and a method of slitting a light source.
FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing the principle of displaying a three-dimensional image by a parallax barrier method. An image viewed by a viewer is formed on an image display panel 30 shown in FIG. 9. In order to make it possible to view a three-dimensional image, right eye pixels (r) on which a right eye image is displayed and left eye pixels (l) on which a left eye image is displayed are formed on the image display panel 30. The arrangement relationship between the right eye pixels (r) and the left eye pixels (l) will be described later.
The right eye image and the left eye image can be simultaneously picked up by two cameras for the right and left eyes, for example. Both images thus obtained include parallax information required for a human being to view a three-dimensional image by binocular parallax.
A parallax barrier 31 is arranged ahead of the image display panel 30. Apertures 31a are formed in a vertical stripe shape in the parallax barrier 31. The spacing between the apertures 31a is set in correspondence with the arrangement of the right eye pixels (r) and the left eye pixels (l). The right eye image and the left eye image are separated by the parallax barrier 31, to respectively enter the right eye 2R and the left eye 2L of the viewer.
FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing the principle of displaying a three-dimensional image by a method of slitting a light source. In the method shown in FIG. 10, a slit 33 is arranged ahead of a light source 32 to emit light in a vertical stripe pattern. The light source itself may emit light in a vertical stripe pattern. Also in the method of slitting a light source, the same function as that in the above described parallax barrier method is obtained, so that a right eye image and a left eye image are separated to respectively enter the right eye 2R and the left eye 2L of a viewer.
FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing the principle of displaying a three-dimensional image by a lenticular method. A lenticular plate 1 is one type of lens having a plurality of cylindrical lenses in a vertical stripe pattern. A pitch between the cylindrical lenses of the lenticular plate 1 almost coincides with the distance corresponding to two projected pixels which are formed on a dispersion panel 3, and one of the cylindrical lenses corresponds to the right eye pixel (r) and the left eye pixel (l).
An image displayed on the dispersion panel 3 is separated into a right eye image and a left eye image by the lens refraction function of the lenticular plate 1, and the right eye image and the left eye image respectively enter the right eye 2R and the left eye 2L of a viewer. That is, light emitted from the left eye pixels (l) is incident on only the left eye 2L, and light emitted from the right eye pixels (r) is incident on only the right eye 2R.
FIG. 12 is an enlarged plan view schematically showing a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel which is an image display panel. A square frame shown in FIG. 12 represents a pixel. Right eye pixels (r) and left eye pixels (l) are respectively arranged in the longitudinal direction on a screen, whereby a right eye image (R) and a left eye image (L) in a vertical stripe pattern are formed.
In this LCD panel, a region exists where no pixels are formed between the right eye pixel (r) and the left eye pixel (l). This region is a region where there exist a gate line, a thin film transistor (TFT) or the like for driving a liquid crystal, which is referred to as a black matrix region. In such an LCD panel, a non-image portion exists corresponding to the black matrix region.
If the position of the head of the viewer is shifted rightward or leftward, therefore, the right and left eyes of the viewer view the non-image portion corresponding to the black matrix region, whereby no image information enters the right and left eyes so that the viewer views a black screen.